Robin Lehner recorded his first shutout of the season with 16 saves, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to a commanding 4-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. This marked Lehner’s 16th career shutout and the win extended Vegas’ current winning streak to five games.
William Karlsson, Chandler Stephenson, Nicolas Roy, and Brayden McNabb all found the back of the net for the Golden Knights, who closed the gap in the West Division standings, moving within two points of the first-place Colorado Avalanche.
Stephenson also contributed an assist, while Mark Stone added two assists, helping Vegas improve to 3-0 on their four-game road trip through Southern California. The Golden Knights will complete the series against Anaheim on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t say it was our most complete game, but we’re playing more consistently for longer stretches,” coach Peter DeBoer said. “We’re starting to control games, which is exactly what we need to be doing as we head toward the end of the season.”
Anaheim’s John Gibson made an impressive 44 saves, but the Ducks’ two-game winning streak ended. Gibson returned to the net after Anthony Stolarz secured two wins against San Jose, allowing only one goal over those games. Gibson’s performance included a penalty shot save against Stephenson with just over five minutes left in the game.
Jakob Silfverberg acknowledged the Ducks’ struggles: “We were feeling good coming off two wins, but tonight was a step in the wrong direction. We played slow and got stuck in long shifts because we couldn’t handle the puck.”
Lehner, who recently returned after missing more than a month with a concussion, made his 13th start of the season, improving his record to 10-1-2. This marked his first shutout since March 2020 against the New Jersey Devils.
Golden Knights Control the Game
Karlsson opened the scoring just nine seconds into the second period, capitalizing on a scramble in front of the Ducks’ net to notch his 11th goal of the season. Stephenson followed shortly after, receiving a pass from Stone and firing a shot past Gibson for a 2-0 lead. Roy extended Vegas’ lead to 3-0 just before the end of the second period, stealing the puck from Max Comtois and scoring with a shot over Gibson’s shoulder.
“If we keep playing like this, we’ll be tough to beat,” Karlsson said. “This is the identity we want, and it’s a challenge to maintain that level each game.”
McNabb sealed the win with a goal midway through the third period, assisted by Stephenson and Stone. Stone’s assist was his team-leading 34th of the season.
Missing Nosek
Tomas Nosek, who had a standout performance with three points in the previous game against the Los Angeles Kings, was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury. The Golden Knights remained dominant despite missing Nosek, who has tallied 14 points in his last 16 games.
Fans Return to Honda Center
The Ducks welcomed fans back to Honda Center for the first time since March 2020, with about 2,000 attendees, mostly season-ticket holders. Despite the small crowd, several Golden Knights fans made their presence known.
“It was amazing to have fans back in the building,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “There was a real buzz, and our fans did their best to push us along, even though the result wasn’t what we wanted.”
Up Next
- The Golden Knights and Ducks will meet again on Sunday in Anaheim, with two more matchups scheduled for later in the month.